until I was researching the block for today's post.This post was just written yesterday!

{Very timely, Tim!}

The story of my little table topper beganmany years ago...I made this label for the back of my project.

I won an Ebay bid for some scraps of feedsack cloth.Along with the fabric pieces, I found an unfinishedBride's Bouquet block.I don't have a photo of the original blockI received, but it needed some work.I picked apart the stitchesand put the block back together again, more carefully,but in the same order as before.{I'm pretty sure I had the luxuries of time and good lightingthat were lacking many years ago.}

I think it took me more than a few minutes to appreciatethe shocking selection of fabrics that the original quilterused for the petal pieces.Never, never, neverwould I have put all of these prints into the same quilt!{Until I remade this block...and now I find them utterly charming.}

I had some pink polka dot feedsack scraps for the border,and I used some vintage pink and green floral fabric for binding.I made a crude cardboard template to mark clamshellsfor the hand-quilting.{I still remember the peace that came over me as I quilted this block.My PA Dutch genes were working overtime that day.}

I think using bits of solids in 30's shades

helps to settle down those crazy feedsack prints.

I love "that green" and "bubble-gum pink" together.

Not only did our foremothers "make do" with what they had...they also made it into something awesome.Nowadays when I look at those wild prints,playing so nicely together in this little old block,I think to myself,"That farmwife had an excellent eye for color."

Lovely post. Quilting also makes me peaceful, especially hand quilting. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks about our quilting grandmothers creating gorgeous quilts from what they were able to scavenge together. We really take fabric choice for granted these days. Your so lucky to have found this block and to restore it! You did a great job!